Brandon Sklenar sides with ‘Team…’ in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni fiasco
While promoting 1923, Brandon Sklenar deflects questions about the Lively-Baldoni legal battle, emphasizing the importance of the film It Ends With Us.
Brandon Sklenar, who appeared alongside Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in It Ends With Us, is taking a neutral stance amid the legal battle between his former co-stars.
Lively has accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and orchestrating a “smear campaign” against her during the film’s promotional period.
Baldoni has countersued, denying the allegations and accusing Lively of extortion. He initially took legal action by filing a $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times for its reporting on the situation. He then escalated the legal battle with a second lawsuit, this time seeking $400 million against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of extortion and additional misconduct.
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Sklenar urges audiences to ‘remember why we made the movie in the first place’
Sklenar, who has largely stayed out of the fray, recently addressed the situation while promoting the second season of 1923. During an appearance on CBS Mornings, host Gayle King directly asked him whether he was “Team Blake or Team Justin.” Sklenar responded with a laugh, saying, “I’m Team It Ends With Us.”
“I just want people to remember why we made the movie in the first place and what it stands for, and just keeping the focus on that,” he stated.
“I have someone very close to me who’s gone through what [Lively’s character Lily is] going through for a long time, and I’ve been on the front lines helping her navigate that space, so that movie meant a lot to me and it means a lot to her.”
“It was one of the reasons that me doing the movie gave her the strength to change her life. It’s unfortunate that things get taken away from what the ethos of that thing is and it gets convoluted,” he added.
Some, however, believe Sklenar may have subtly supported Lively in December when he shared a link to her initial complaint against Baldoni on his Instagram Story, with the caption, “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, READ THIS.”
